Good porn/bad porn, stickers and the different branches of the Feminist Cause...

[UhOhJo]

I'm in no way a 'feminist activist' I'm just a mum with a daughter who's started to worry that the world is a bit fucked up for women still! There seems to be all kind of feminist issues that you can get involved with, and in my mixed up new-to-feminism head some of them seem more about Bad Stuff to People than to do with women's identity. Though hey, that's something that needs fighting for hard, just perhaps it's just not the bit of feminism that interests me so much.

Are there all kinds of branches of feminism, and do they have names? As I said I'm new here, but keen. And what do I join if I want to get involved specifically in the head-fuck side of women's issues? You know, things like magazines bringing celebs down with 'isn't she looking mildly fat' photos, or porn sites that show sex as women taking it the way the guys like it? That insidious stuff that creates a culture that brings women down.

I used to stick stickers on tube station posters as a hobby. I'm toying with hitting WHSmiths with a batch of 'women should be nice to women' stickers on any women's mag that bitches at a celeb who dared to do the school run without make-up.

Any other ideas welcome. You know, small stuff, but doing something!

UhOhJo - welcome.

I am a member of OBJECT and would thoroughly recommed them, as I would the others really. I am a feminist who is most interested in the objectification and violence side. Please join us - the more the merrier!!!! I will be at MWR and cant wait. If you can make it please try. It was my first one for years and years last year and to say it was inspiring is an understatement. My husband is going this year to stand on the street and cheer!

Thanks so much! Lots of organisations to look up, exactly what I needed. I'd never even heard of Million Women Rise but you've got to start somewhere - will try to be there!

UhOhJo, I really like your sticker idea! I can't stand the constant whining and policing of women's looks in mags etc. We are all in this shit together...

Op you can turn all the misogynistic publications over or take them all up to the desk and ask to speak to the manager or put them in paper bags with slogans on. That is all perfectly legal. It's all stuff object do so it would be worth looking them up for sure

Object do lots of good direct actions and campaigning (I am also a member), and have also just spoken at the Leveson Inquiry, about pornographic images in the tabloid press. They were calling for the law to be applied equally across all media - there's a TV watershed, so why not the same restrictions in print media too...

Another way to find out more and get involved is to look for events around International Women's Day, on 8 March - there's always loads of good stuff going on, particularly if you can get to London. Million Women Rise is the week before, and it is a great day.

Object certainly sounds like my thing, and the print media plan is great - hope that works. I saw the Feminist Fridays thing with lads mags too (looked like a fun campaign!)

Although (I may be going out on a limb here!) do any of you think that we just have to accept that porn is part of our culture? So that there's an argument that a greater good is served by promoting the kind of 'good sex' porn and imagery that show women as strong, active and equal partners in fun. :)

I may not be explaining this well, but one of my greatest fears is that DS will go online and see the nasty stuff. You see I had an ex who was into horrid exploitative porn. I worry now that everything is online that it is so easy for my boy to google his way to a terrible sex education - one that teaches him no respect for women at all.

I suppose I want my DD and my DS to be protected from this stuff. Of course I want him to stay innocent forever (and he is only 4 so there's many years before I need worry!) but if I had to accept that he got his teenage kicks from the 'net I'd rather there was 'feminist approved' porn for him to see than random nastiness. Is that a crazy idea or what? :)

Anyway, I will definitely try to take part in at MWR, and I will join Object.

Thanks again for all your advice to a newbie! :)

There is no such thing as good porn. I think all you can do is to move heaven and earth to help your children grow up as decent human beings, and to value themselves.

Stewie

Great list. But I disagree with "Pink Stinks".

I have never heard anyone create a campaign along the lines of "Trains are Crap" or "Fireman are boring".

it's not the colour itself Greythorne, it's just a shorthand to describe the passive pretty 'I'm a GIRL, a cutie pie gIRL and that's all you need to know about my character' type of thing that they're coralled into.